The UN peacekeeping mission caught in the crosshairs in southern Lebanon

FRANCE 24 English

Visit our website: http://www.france24.com  Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FRANCE24.English  Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/France24_en

Transcript

00:00UN peacekeepers monitor the blue demarcation line which divides the country from Israel.

00:05Two peacekeepers from Sri Lanka were injured on Friday by an Israeli strike near a UN watchtower.

00:10A spokesperson for the UN mission in Lebanon, UNIFIL, says it has been targeted by Israeli

00:15attacks.

00:16This is a violation of Security Council Resolution 1701, but it's a grave violation of international

00:24humanitarian law.

00:25And it was a deliberate attack, at least the one against our cameras, against the mission.

00:33So highly concerning, again, because our monitoring capability has been limited.

00:39Two Indonesian peacekeepers were injured on Thursday after falling from a watchtower following

00:44Israeli tank fire.

00:46Israel says its forces had opened fire nearby because Hezbollah militants were operating

00:50in the area.

00:52Countries worldwide reacted with outrage at the latest violence, including France, which

00:57has personnel in the UN mission.

01:00The 700 French soldiers committed to this force are a sign of our unwavering support

01:07and of our desire to be committed to the security of both Israel and Lebanon.

01:15It is therefore totally unacceptable for UNIFIL troops to be deliberately targeted by Israeli

01:20armed forces.

01:21We condemn it.

01:22We will not tolerate it and we will not accept it happening again.

01:27France summoned Israel's ambassador.

01:28The UN Secretary General, meanwhile, also said there must be no repeat of incidents.

01:35Peacekeepers must be protected by all parties of the conflict.

01:39And what has happened is obviously condemnable.

01:43This incident is intolerable and it cannot be repeated.

01:48The UN Interim Force in Lebanon, or UNIFIL, has around 10,000 peacekeepers stationed in

01:53the south of the country.

01:55It refused Israel's order to evacuate 29 of its positions in the border region when the

01:59IDF launched its invasion on the 30th of September.

Category

Transcript

Recommended